You might be thinking: Aha! Why don't we lift the door, clamp it in place, and install the springs while they are thus safely unwound, rather than deal with all that accumulation of hazardous torque? The answer: At the top-of-travel, the unwound springs are not fully relaxed; they are still clamped to the torsion shaft with a significant stretch along the shaft axis, plus about a half-turn to keep the door snug at the top. This extra length amounts to the stacking of extra turns that accumulate from winding, also termed "spring growth" in the business. In my case this is about 7 turns of 0.2253 wire, or about 2 inches. Stretching the spring that much and clamping it with a half-turn or so of twist is not feasible.

The inside of the door panels bear a few dings, since filled with Bondo, from my teenage boys shooting hockey pucks. The streaks on the right that look like dinosaur claw scratches came from operating the door inadvertently when the rear doors of a van were open. The responsibility for these scars is all mine; they have also been Bondo-filled. We tend to use a lot of Bondo around our house. The crud on the walls and ceiling are cobwebs and dust infiltrates.

The Genie Chain Drive garage door opener combines The Genie Chain Drive garage door opener combines powerful reliable performance with smooth operation to create a long-lasting and easy-to-install garage door opener. The unit's electronic push-button programming makes installation and setup fast and easy. Complete with accessories the system features a reliable DC motor that delivers quiet smooth operation ... More + Product Details Close
The second stage of the wireless garage door opener system solved the opening-the-neighbor's-garage-door problem. The remote controls on these systems transmitted a digital code, and the receiver in the garage responded only to that code. The codes were typically set by eight to twelve DIP switches on the receiver and transmitter, so they allowed for 28 = 256 to 212 = 4,096 different codes. As long as neighbors used different codes, they would not open each other's garage doors. The intent of these systems was to avoid interference with nearby garage doors; the systems were not designed with security in mind. Intruders were able to defeat the security of these systems and gain entry to the garage and the house. The number of codes was small enough that even an unsophisticated intruder with a compatible remote control transmitter could just start transmitting all possible codes until he found one that opened the door. More sophisticated intruders could acquire a black box master key that automatically transmitted every possible code in a short time. An even more sophisticated method is known as a replay attack. The attacker would use a code grabber, which has a receiver that captures the remote's digital code and can retransmit that digital code at a later time. The attacker with a code grabber would wait nearby for the homeowner to use his remote, capture the code, and then replay the code to open the door when the homeowner was gone. Multicode openers became unpopular in areas where security was important, but due to their ease of programming, such openers are often used to operate such things as the gates in gated apartment complexes.
The lucky-for-you-I-found-another-problem trick: Another trick is to suggest your automatic opener was damaged (or "compromised") by the additional load or shock presented by the failure of the spring(s). The plastic worm gear used in the most common openers (see above) wears normally over the years and tends to leave a lot of debris inside the opener housing. Removing the opener cover reveals a lot of plastic shavings that may be cited as "evidence" you need a new opener, when the gears are actually still serviceable. Nevertheless, you may have indeed worn out the gear if you repeatedly cycled the door with the opener despite having broken springs, which is possible if you have a very lightweight door.

Furthermore, newer doors come with more improved security features, helping to improve the way you protect your home and loved ones. While older doors are easy to break into, whether through breaking the lift mechanism or even using a universal garage door remote, new doors come with many redundant security features, which will go a long way in deterring even the most ingenious burglar.

Direct Drive - Unlike chain- and belt-driven systems, where the motor remains stationary while moving a chain, a direct drive motor moves while the chain stays in place. Because of this, the only moving part is the gear the motor uses to move while lifting the door. To our knowledge, only one company makes direct drive garage door openers: Sommer. The company claims the motors are more efficient and quieter than any other type of opener. However, this is the most expensive type of opener we’ve found, costing around $286 on average.

Cost was $88 for 2 pairs of springs, plus $21 shipping. (I had to order 2 pairs to meet the $50 minimum order.) They came with new cones inserted as shown at that price, so I didn't bother trying to remove and reuse the old cones to save a few dollars. The cones are quite difficult to remove from old springs and to insert in new ones, and the spring supplier will have the right tooling to do that easily. That was the best price I could find on the Web at the time, and didn't seem out of line with what parts like this might cost at at the building supply (if they only sold them). Contractors buy these much cheaper in quantities; they're just an ordinary high-carbon steel wire turned on a winding machine. I also found Web sites asking a lot more money, obviously trying to cash in on search-engine traffic from do-it-yourselfers. Others report that some local dealers sell springs at retail, but at a high price that eliminates any economy versus having them installed.

Michael Davis replaced the tension springs and just about everything else that moves on both of my single car garage doors. I think I paid a premium price ($900) but I also believe I got the quality of service I paid for. Both doors are balanced and glide effortlessly and quietly along the tracks. Michael took the time to inspect and adjust every aspect of the garage door system including the opener (which I installed myself).read more
Electric Garage Door Openers – Service and repair of the electric garage door opener itself, including the lift mechanism that pulls the door up and guides it down. This is typically not part of the garage door itself and is serviced and repaired on its own interval. Typical service includes inspection, repair, adjustment, and lubrication if needed. Also, we typically inspect the mounting of the unit as well as its attachment to the door itself.
First and foremost, a garage door, by design, contains springs designed to balance your door and make it easier to lift. Those springs are under incredible amounts of tension. If a spring breaks or is improperly released, it can cause incredible and potentially fatal injuries. Keep in mind, when working on a garage door spring, it is likely that your face and head will be close to it, meaning that your most sensitive area will be in the direct path of the released spring.
Garage doors are the largest moving object inside your home. If you have a problematic garage door, it compromises the safety of your family and home. Ankmar Denver is a professional company you can count on. We provide you with quality service at a reasonable price. We offer FREE estimates on replacement garage doors and are spring replacement specialists. 24 hours a day 7 days a week we are your number one garage door repair service.
Since 1989, Henderson Garage Doors has specialized in the sale, installation, service and repair of residential and commercial door systems throughout the Baytown area. A family-owned and operated company, we’re committed to offering the finest products and delivering best in class service. We’re proud of our reputation for prompt, professional, and reliable service and we’d like to welcome you to the Henderson Family!
A common material for a new garage door is steel sheet formed or stamped to look like a raised panel wooden door. Steel doors are available in uninsulated, insulated, and double skin steel. A design mimicking carriage house doors has become popular since early 2000s, and many manufacturers clad the exterior of a steel door with composite, vinyl boards, or other trim to give it the appearance of wood.
I called and spoke with James the first call i made and he was very helpful and informative. I called the next day and set up an appointment. Nate called and offered to come early . I said that was perfect .he showed up in a clean, well decaled truck and was in full uniform when I met him. He was polite, respectful, knowledgeable and ready to work. His professionalism coupled with his concise and efficient manner was great.I work in a service industry as well and this gentleman is the kind of professional you want knocking on your door. He is definitely an asset to the company. The price is low and the value is high. I will definitely use this company for any of my garage door needs.read more
The optician's trick: The serviceman looks over your door with lots of scowling, chin-scratching, and tsk-tsking. You ask, "how much?" He replies with the fair price. If you don't flinch at that price, he says, "for the parts", while quoting a large additional cost for the labor. If you still don't flinch, he adds, "each," while pointing back and forth to your pair of springs. (I hope none of you service people are reading this!) I call this the "optician's trick" after the old vaudeville joke about lenses, frames, and left/right.
And for some extra features, you'll appreciate accessing the system through the MyQ smartphone app. You can set up this Chamberlain opener to automatically close the door after 1, 5, or 10 minutes, which is great for people who are a bit forgetful. We also really like the motion-detecting control panel, which turns on lights whenever it records nearby movement.